The 2008 Belmont Stakes was the 140th running of the

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

. The race was won by

Da'Tara Da' Tara (foaled April 26, 2005) is an American thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2008 Belmont Stakes in an upset over Big Brown. Da' Tara was a 38-1 underdog entering the post at Belmont. He is trained by Nick Zito, his jockey is Alan Garcia, ...

, who led the race wire to wire. Da'Tara went off at 38–1 odds, making the win a monumental upset. Entrants included the favorite, winner of both the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

and

Preakness Preakness may refer to: * The Preakness or Preakness Stakes, an American flat thoroughbred horse race held in Baltimore, Maryland * Preakness (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse from Preakness Stables * Preakness, New Jersey, a section of W ...

Big Brown Big Brown may refer to: * Big Brown (horse), an American thoroughbred racehorse * Big brown bat, an North American bat * Big Brown, a nickname for the delivery company United Parcel Service * Big Brown Box, an Australian online retailer *Big Brown ...

, but he eased on last place, a first for any

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

hopeful. A win by Big Brown would have marked the first Triple Crown since

Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, includi ...

in 1978. Other entrants were Derby runners Denis of Cork,

Tale of Ekati Tale of Ekati (foaled March 31, 2005) is a retired Thoroughbred racehorse. Background The brown colt's sire is Tale of the Cat by leading sire Storm Cat. His dam, Silence Beauty (half sister to the champion mare Sky Beauty out of Maplejinksy) ...

, and Anak Nakal; Preakness runner up

Macho Again Macho Again (foaled 2005 in Florida) is a retired American thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was sired by the 2000 American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Macho Uno, who in turn was a son of leading sire Holy Bull. He is out of the mare Go Donna Go ...

and third-place finisher

Icabad Crane Icabad Crane (foaled April 9, 2005, in New York) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse by Jump Start out of Adorahy. In February 2007, he was purchased as a two-year-old at the Ocala Breeders Sale for $110,000. Icabad Crane is consistent, fin ...

; and Peter Pan runner, Ready's Echo. The sire of Anak Nakal,

Victory Gallop Victory Gallop (foaled May 30, 1995, in Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1998 Belmont Stakes to deny Real Quiet the Triple Crown, and was the 1999 Champion Older Dirt Male. Background Bred by Ivan Dalos' ...

, is a Belmont winner, while Casino Drive has two Belmont-winning siblings.

Casino Drive Casino Drive (foaled March 7, 2005 in Kentucky, died August 5, 2019) is an American thoroughbred racehorse. Background Casino Drive was sired by 2003 United States Horse of the Year Mineshaft, out of the broodmare Better Than Honour, making h ...

was scratched from the race the morning of the race with an injured hoof.Big Brown rival Casino Drive scratched after workout
Associated Press. June 7, 2008. He was the

Peter Pan Stakes The Peter Pan Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of miles (nine furlongs) run annually during the second week of May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. History The race is run in honor o ...

winner, and the half brother of

2007 Belmont Stakes The 2007 Belmont Stakes was the 139th running of the Belmont Stakes. The race was held on June 9, 2007. Rags to Riches won the race by a head over Curlin before a crowd of 46,870, becoming the first filly to win the Belmont since 1905 and to win a ...

winner

Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...

and 2006 Belmont Stakes winner

Jazil Jazil (February 11, 2003 – October 11, 2014) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2006, Jazil dead-heated for fourth place in the Kentucky Derby but then won the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Connections Ja ...

. A win by Casino Drive would have been the first time that siblings have won the same Triple Crown race in three consecutive years.

Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes t ...

, the regular jockey for both Big Brown and Casino Drive, rode Big Brown while two-time Belmont winner

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado (Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races in ...

had been scheduled to ride Casino Drive. The race was seen before 94,476 fans.Da' Tara romps at Belmont; Triple Crown fave Big Brown is dead last
Associated Press. June 7, 2008.

Payout

* $2

Exacta Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the Vigorish, "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff Odds#Gambling odds versus probabilities, odds a ...

(6-4) Paid $659.00 * $2

Trifecta Trifecta A trifecta is a parimutuel bet placed on a horse race in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. Known as a trifecta in the US and Australia, this is known as a tricast in t ...

(6-4-8) Paid $3,703.00 * $2 Trifecta (6-4-9) Paid $3,954.00 * $2

Superfecta {{Wiktionary The superfecta is a type of wager in USA and Canada parimutuel betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. This is even more unlikely than a successful wager in th ...

(6-4-8-9) Paid $48,637.00 * $2 Superfecta (6-4-9-8) Paid $47,309.00

Results

As provided by EquibaseResults at Equibase.com
Equibase.com. June 7, 2008.

References

External links

{{Belmont Stakes Belmont Stakes races